Safety issues at St. Paul library persist as $1M renovation project begins

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    Concerns over cost of Rondo Library renovations 

The Rondo Community Library is now closed until further notice as the City of St. Paul moves forward with a nearly $1 million renovation project.

Library services will be offered at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center starting Jan. 3, 2026.

The decision to close and how city funds are being spent is drawing concern from library staff, community members and city leaders.

RELATED: Disagreement over how to use funds as Rondo Community Library prepares to close for renovations 

City officials said the renovation focuses on improving the library’s entryway and relocating bathrooms to make the space more welcoming and functional for patrons.

Critics argue the project does little to address long-standing safety issues in and around the library, located near the intersection of University Avenue and Dale Street.

RELATED: Safety concerns at St. Paul’s Rondo Community Library causes changes to its hours of operation 

“Moving the bathroom isn’t going to solve the fentanyl crisis,” said Isaac Mielke, president of AFSCME Local 1842, which represents staff at the Rondo Library.

Mielke said library employees have experienced crime and safety challenges firsthand, but were not included in planning discussions for the renovation.

“I think the staff there understands that these are societal issues,” Mielke said. “This is the housing crisis. This is the fentanyl crisis, and absolutely, that library and those staff have borne the brunt of those crises.”

According to St. Paul police, officers responded to 262 calls for service at the Rondo Library between January and July of this year.

That number exceeds the total number of calls for all of 2024 by 53 calls. 

During a Dec. 3 city council meeting, Council Member Anika Bowie commented on the city’s investment. 

“I do not support nearly a million dollars of investment going toward moving the bathrooms,” Bowie said.

Bowie added that closing the library could negatively impact a neighborhood already facing significant challenges.

“It’s a huge negative impact to close the Rondo Library in our community,” Bowie said. “This is a neighborhood that’s already faced great blight and a lot of challenges. It has a mental health crisis.”

A spokesperson for the St. Paul Public Library said in a statement that the goal of the interior renovation is to improve the overall user experience.

According to the city, the plan is to move back to the Rondo Library by the end of 2026.

“Saint Paul Public Library and the City of Saint Paul are deeply committed to the Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods and to providing accessible library services to all residents, Maureen Hartman, Saint Paul Public Library director, said. “We are grateful to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center for temporarily housing library services during the building’s renovation and look forward to returning to our updated and improved library building at the corner of University and Dale in 2026.”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked the City of St. Paul library spokesperson how it justifies allocating nearly $1 million to library renovations while safety concerns inside and around the library continue.

As of publication, the city has not responded

The post Safety issues at St. Paul library persist as $1M renovation project begins first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.